ULTRAWIDEBAND

ABSTRACT
Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) transmission has recently received great
attention in both academia and industry for applications in wireless
communications. It was among the CNNs top 10 technologies to watch
in 2004. A UWB system is defined as any radio system that has a 10-
dB bandwidth larger than 20% of its center frequency, or has a 10-dB
bandwidth equal to or larger than 500 MHz, The recent approval of UWB
technology by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United
States reserves the unlicensed frequency band between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz
(7.5 GHz) for indoor UWB wireless communication systems. It is expected
that many conventional principles and approaches used for short-range
wireless communications will be reevaluated and a new industrial sector in
short-range (e.g., 10 m) wireless communications with high data rate (e.g.,
400 Mbps) will be formed. Further, industrial standards IEEE 802.15.3a
(high data rate) and IEEE 802.15.4a (very low data rate) based on UWB
technology have been introduced.

UWB is a wireless technology that transmits binary datathe 0s

and 1s that are the digital building blocks of modern information systems.
It uses low-energy and extremely short duration (in the order of pico
seconds) impulses or bursts of RF (radio frequency) energy over a wide
spectrum of frequencies, to transmit data over short to medium distances,
say about 15100 m. It doesnt use carrier wave to transmit data.

1
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Ultra Wide Band (UWB) is a revolutionary technology with

incomparable potential in terms of throughput, performance and low cost
implementation. Ultra wideband is currently receiving special attention and is quite
a hot topic in industry and academia. It is a high-speed, short- range wireless
technology nearly 10 times faster than 802.11b. It can be used for transferring digital
content between devices in different entertainment and computing clusters in the
home, such as digital video recorders, set-top boxes, televisions and PCs. UWB is
leading technology designed to replace cables with short-range, wireless
connections, but it offers the much higher bandwidth needed to support multimedia
data streams at very low power levels. The uniqueness of UWB is that it transmits
across extremely wide bandwidth of several GHz, around a low center frequency, at
very low power levels.
UWB is almost two decades old, but is used mainly in limited radar or
position-location devices. Only recently has UWB been applied to business
communications. Even though the advancement of UWB has been somewhat slow,
there's a possibility that UWB will become the "next best" technology for all types
of wireless networks, including wireless LANs.
UWB chipsets are currently under development and testing by several
companies, including Intel, T ime Do main, Extreme Spectrum, Texas Instruments,
Motorola, and STMicroelectronics and others. Intel is bouncing around the idea of
implementing UWB technology into all of its chip. Companies such as Sony and
Panasonic hope to use UWB in their flat panel video displays, eliminating the need
for wires while still broadcasting the highest quality images with full stereo sound.
Other heavy hitting companies buying into UWB include Cisco and AT&T.
UWB will either become a new age communication or the end of an old
technology, and probably both will stay.

1
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CHAPTER 2

HISTORY

Ultra wide band communication is not a new technology, in fact it was first
employed by Guglielmo Marconi in 1901 to transmit Morse Code sequences across
the Atlantic ocean using spark gap radio transmitters. The United States military re-
invented it under a cloak of secrecy and black projects from the 1960's to the 1990's,
where UWB was particularly well suited for modern RADAR and highly secure
communications. One hundred years after Marconi's first demonstration of wireless
technology across the Atlantic ocean we have wireless history in the making
again. In 1998, the FCC recognized the significance of UWB technology and
began the process of regulatory review. In May of 2000, the FCC issued a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking, accepting comments through the current period. Throughout
early 2002, comments and review from the FCC, NTIA, Department of Commerce
and DOD were received. The FCC adopted the formal rule changes permitting
Ultra Wideband to operate on February 14, 2002.
Ultra Wideband (UWB) is only becoming commercially viable now through
decreased costs and recent advancements in chip development, the evolution of the
marketplace, and FCC recognition. What is driving UWB into the consumer market
is the ability to render UWB circuitry into CMOS technology. Therefore as
CMOS scales say from .25 to .18 to .13 micron so does the UWB circuitry. As a
result some call UWB "Moore's Law Radio". Until a few years ago, the circuitry to
implement UWB was power and form factor constrained. With UWB being done in
CMOS this is no longer the case. As a matter of fact we will see smaller and
smaller UWB devices over the next few years.

Potential commercial applications include distribution of wireless audio, video

and data over local area networks for home and office. In addition UWB has the
unique ability to resolve Geo-Positional location to centimeter accuracy as a by-
product of sending and receiving data between multiple UWB devices. Think of
wireless Internet and video capable devices such as smart phones, PDA's, laptop
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computers, web-pads, digital video cameras, automobiles and a wide range of consumer
electronics and home appliances with extremely precise, GPS-like positioning Other
advantageous features of UWB are penetration and signal power. In terms of penetration,
for instance, an unfiltered pulse of 200 picoseconds duration, when applied through a
Fourier formula, demonstrates signal energy throughout the spectrum between DC and 5
GHz. Obviously this is not a perfect square wave representation because the pulse is
subject to some coloring from the antenna - and antenna technology is an extremely
important facet of UWB technology - but with proper antenna implementations the
distribution of energy is spread fairly evenly across the spectrum. A UWB receiver
detects the presence of the energy of the pulse in time, not at specific frequencies, so
absorption of specific carriers such as at 1.8GHz or 2.4GHz has little effect, provided
that around 50% of the spectral energy density of the pulse penetrates whatever obstacles
lie in the transmission path. Absorption at any one particular frequency does little to
affect the integrity of the actual pulse.
In terms of signal power, the simplest conceptual demonstration would be to
think of Morse code. Imagine hooking up a microphone to a one-watt transmitter and
speaking into it. Your voice is being used to generate a complex modulation onto an
analog carrier. That same complex modulation must be received and de-modulated at the
receiver. In order to recover your voice at the receiver, the integrity of both the
modulation and the carrier must be maintained. Although the carrier is capable of going
great distances, the modulation is much more fragile and degrades quickly over distance.
Therefore, you might be able to recover the voice modulated signal a mile or more away.
Now, remove the microphone from the one-watt transmitter and attach a Morse code
oscillator to the same one-watt transmitter. All you need to recover are the dots and
dashes, (in essence, is the signal present or not?). These simple pulses can be detected at
increased distances by a factor of over ten relative to a modulated carrier. In Ultra
Wideband, we might radiate a 200 picoseconds (.2 billionths of a second) pulse of one-
watt energy. At any given frequency between DC and 5 GHz the demonstrated energy of
the pulse is beneath the noise floor, hence peaceful co-existence with carrier
technologies.
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CHAPTER 3

ULTRA WIDEBAND

This concept doesn't stand for a definite standard of wireless communication. This is a
method of modulation and data transmission which can entirely change the wireless
picture in the near future.

Figure 1: Time Domain and Frequency Domain Behavior of NB

Communication

The traditional modulation is shown above which is called here Narrow Band
(NB). On the left we can see a signal on the time axis and on the right there is its
frequency spectrum, i.e. energy distribution in the frequency band. The most modern
standards of data transmission are Narrow Band standards - all of them work within a
quite narrow frequency band allowing for just small deviations from the base (or
carrier) frequency. Above on the right you can see a spectral energy distribution of a
typical 802.11b transmitter. It has a very narrow (80 MHz for one channel) dedicated
spectral band with the reference frequency of 2.4 GHz. Within this narrow band the
transmitter emits a considerable amount of energy necessary for the following reliable
reception within the designed range of distance (100 m for the 802.11b).
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The range is strictly defined by FCC and other regulatory bodies and
requires licensing. Data are encoded and transferred using the method of frequency
modulation (control of deviation from the base frequency) within the described
channel.

Figure 2: Time Domain and Frequency Domain Behaviour of UWB

Communication

Now take a look at the UWB - here the traditional approach is turned upside down. In
the time space the transmitter emits short pulses of a special form which distributes all
the energy of the pulse within the given, quite wide, spectral range (approximately from
3 GHz to 10 GHz). Data, in their turn, are encoded with polarity and mutual positions
of pulses. With much total power delivered into the air and, therefore, a long distance
of the reliable reception, the UWB signal doesn't exceed an extremely low value (much
lower than that of the NB signals) in each given spectrum point (i.e. in each definite
licensed frequency band). As a result, according to the respective FCC regulation, such
signal becomes allowable although it also takes spectral parts used for other purposes:
 ULTRAWIDEBAND

Fig 3. Power spectral density limits in the current FCC

So, the most part of energy of the UWB signal falls into the frequency range from 3.1
to 10.6 GHz. Below 3.1 GHz the signal almost disappears. The more ideal the form of a
pulse formed with the transmitter, the less the energy goes out of the main range. The
spectral range lower than 3.1 GHz is avoided not to create problems for GPS systems.
However, UWB is accurate to within 10 centimeters -- much better than the Global
Positioning System satellites and because it spans the entire frequency spectrum
(licensed and unlicensed), it can be used indoors and underground, unlike GPS. UWB
could replace communications of all types, ending forever our dependence on wires and
making worthless the ownership of radio frequencies.

The total energy of the transmitter which can fit into this band is defined by
the area of the spectral characteristic (see filled zones on the previous picture). In case
of the UWB it's much greater compared to the traditional NB signals such as 802.11b or
802.11a. So, with the UWB we can send data for longer distances, or send more data,
especially if there are a lot of simultaneously working devices located close to each
other. Here is a diagram with the designed maximum density of data transferred per
square meter:
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Figure 4: Maximum Density of data Transferred per square meter

Density of transferred data able to coexist on the same square meter is much higher for
the UWB compared to the popular NB standards. That is, it will be possible to use the

UWB for the intra system communication or even for an inter chip communication
within one device.

In case of the NB a frequency and width of the dedicated spectral range for the most
part (though the real situation is much more complicated) defines a bandwidth of the
channel, and the transmitter's power defines a distance range. But in the UWB these
two concepts inter wine and we can distribute our capabilities between the distance
range and bandwidth. Thus, at small distances, for example, in case of an inter chip
communication, we can get huge throughput levels without increasing the total
transferred power and without cluttering up the air, i.e. other devices are not impeded.
Look at how the throughput of data transferred in the UWB modulation depends on
distance:
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Figure 5: Throughput of data transferred in the UWB modulation

While the traditional NB standard 802.11a uses an artificially created

dependence of throughput on distance (a fixed set of bandwidths discretely switched
over as the distance increases), the UWB realizes this dependence in a much more
natural way. At short distances its throughput is so great that it makes our dreams on the
inter chip communication real, but at the longer distances the UWB loses to the NB
standard. On the one hand, a theoretical volume of the energy transferred, and
therefore, the maximum amount of data, is higher. On the other hand, we must

remember that in a real life information is always transferred in large excess. Beside the
amount of energy, there is the design philosophy which also has an effect. For example,
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a character of modulation, i.e. how stably and losslessly it is received and detected by
the receivers.

3.1 Comparison between classical and UWB Transceivers

Let's compare the classical:

Figure 6 : Classical Transceiver

The classical transceiver contains a reference oscillator (synth) which, as a rule, is

stabilized with some reference crystal element (Ref Osc). Further, in case of reception
 ULTRAWIDEBAND

this frequency is subtracted from the received signal, and in case of transmission it is
added to the data transferred.

. Figure 7: UWB Transceiver

For the UWB the transmitter looks very unsophisticated - we just form a pulse of a
required shape and send it to the antenna. In case of reception we amplify the signal,
pump it through the band filter which selects our working spectrum range and... that's
all - here is our ready pulse.
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3.2 Modulation Methods

Several modulation techniques can be used to create UWB signals, some more
efficiently than others. In its formative years, some of the most popular methods to
create UWB pulse streams used mono-phase techniques such as pulse amplitude
(PAM), pulse position (PPM), or on-off keying (OOK). In these techniques, a 1 is
differentiated from a 0 either by the size of the signal or when it arrives in time but
all the pulses are the same shape. A more efficient approach, bi-phase ultra-wideband,
is also being deployed. Bi-phase differentiates a 1 with a right-side-up pulse and a
0 with an upside-down pulse and works by reading pulses both backwards and
forwards, irrespective of time. Multi-phase UWB is not being deployed today as it is
too cost-prohibitive for the consumer and enterprise markets.

Mono-phase Ultra-wideband: In this approach, all pulses are right side up,
meaning they all look alike. Using pulses in time to create the desired ultra- wideband
waveform, mono-phase ultra-wideband technologies are currently used in select
military applications under a special license from the FCC. All of these deployed
systems are much higher in power and much lower in frequency than the limits
published by the FCC in their recent UWB approval guidelines.

The three most popular mono-phase ultra-wideband approaches include:

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1 Pulse amplitude (PAM)PAM works by separating the tall and the short
waves. By varying the amplitude (height of pulse) the receiver can tell the
difference between 1 and 0, thereby encoding data in the signal.
2 Pulse position (PPM)In PPM, all the pulses (both 1s and 0s) are the same
height. The receiver distinguishes between a 1 or a 0 by when it arrives in time,
or the time lag between pulses. In this case, a long time lag could mean a 1 and a
short time lag could mean a 0.
3 On-Off Keying (OOK)In OOK, a 1 is a pulse and an absence of a pulse is a
0.

Bi-phase Ultra-wideband: In this approach, the pulses can be sent right side up or
upside down, which determines whether the pulse is a 1 or a 0, so pulses can be
sent at a much higher rate.

PULSE POSITION MODULATION (PPM)

Encodes information by modifying the position of the pulse

0 1

Fig 8. Pulse Position Modulation

PULSE AMPLITUDE MODULATON (PAM)

Determines whether a pulse is a 1 or 0 based on the size of the pulse.

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Fig 9. Pulse Amplitude Modulation

ON-OFF KEYING

Determines a 0 by the absence of a pulse and 1 by the presence of a pulse

Fig 10. Representation of On Off Keying

BI-PHASE

Reads forward and backward pulses as either 0or 1

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Fig 11. Representation of BI-PHASE

CHAPTER 4

Ultra wideband Technology

UWB differs substantially from conventional narrowband radio frequency

(RF) and spread spectrum technologies (SS), such as Bluetooth Technology
and
802.11a/g. UWB uses an extremely wide band of RF spectrum to transmit data. In so
doing, UWB is able to transmit more data in a given period of time than the more
traditional technologies.

The potential data rate over a given RF link is proportional to the bandwidth
of the channel and the logarithm of the signal-to-noise ratio (Shannons Law). RF
design engineers typically have little control over the bandwidth parameter, because
this is dictated by FCC regulations that stipulate the allowable bandwidth of the
signal for a given radio type and application. Bluetooth Technology, 802.11a/g Wi-
Fi, cordless phones, and numerous other devices are relegated to the unlicensed
 ULTRAWIDEBAND

frequency bands that are provided at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.1 GHz. Each
radio channel is constrained to occupy only a narrow band of frequencies, relative
to what is allowed for UWB.

UWB is a unique and new usage of a recently legalized frequency spectrum.

UWB radios can use frequencies from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHza band more than
7
GHz wide. Each radio channel can have a bandwidth of more than 500 MHz,
depending on its center frequency. To allow for such a large signal bandwidth,
the FCC put in place severe broadcast power restrictions. By do ing so, UWB
devices can make use of an extremely wide frequency band while not emitting
enough energy to be noticed by narrower band devices nearby, such as 802.11a/g
radios. This sharing of spectrum allows devices to obtain very high data throughput,
but they must be within close proximity.

Fig 12: Application and Protocol layers for

UWB

Strict power limits mean the radios themselves must be low power consumers.
Because of the low power requirements, it is feasible to develop cost -effective CMOS
implementations of UWB radios. With the characteristics of low power, low cost, and
very high data rates at limited range, UWB is positioned to address the market for a
high-speed WPAN.

UWB technology also allows spectrum reuse. A cluster of devices in

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proximity (for example, an entertainment system in a living area) can

communicate on the same channel as another cluster of devices in another room (for
example, a gaming system in a bedroom). UWB-based WPANs have such a short
range that nearby clusters can use the same channel without causing interference. An
802.11g WLAN solution, however, would quickly use up the available data
bandwidth in a single device cluster, and that radio channel would be unavailable for
reuse anywhere else in the home. Because of UWB technologys limited range,
802.11 WLAN solutions are an excellent complement to a WPAN, serving as a
backbone for data transmission between home clusters.
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Fig 13:C omparis on of narrowband (NB), spread

s pectrum (SS), and ultra-wideband (UW B) signal
c onc epts
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CHAPTER 5

How UWB Works?

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology is loosely defined as any wireless
transmission scheme that occupies a bandwidth of more than 25% of a center
frequency, or more than 1.5GHz. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
is currently working on setting emissions limits that would allow UWB
communication systems to be deployed on an unlicensed basis for radiated emissions
of intentional radiators, the same rules governing the radiated emissions from home
computers, for example. This rule change would allow UWB-enabled devices to
overlay existing narrowband systems, which is currently not allowed, and result
in a much more efficient use of the available spectrum. Devices could, in essence,
fill in the unused portions of the frequency spectrum in any particular location.

A traditional UWB transmitter works by sending billions of pulses across a

very wide spectrum of frequencies several GHz in bandwidth. The corresponding
receiver then translates the pulses into data by listening for a familiar pulse sequence
sent by the transmitter. Specifically, UWB is defined as any radio technology
having a spectrum that occupies a bandwidth greater than 20 percent of the center
frequency, or a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.
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Modern UWB systems use other modulation techniques, such as Orthogona

l Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), to occupy these extremely wide
bandwidths. In addition, the use of multiple bands in combination with OFDM
modulation can provide significant advantages to traditional UWB systems.

UWB's combination of broader spectrum and lower power improves speed

and reduces interference with other wireless spectra. In the United States, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that UWB radio
transmissions can legally operate in the range from 3.1 GHz up to 10.6 GHz, at a
limited transmit power of -41dBm/MHz. Consequently, UWB provides dramatic
channel capacity at short range that limits interference.
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5.1 Wireless PC Peripheral Connectivity

For wireless PC peripheral connectivity, UWB technology can take the

performance and ease-of-use found in USB to the next level. Presently, wired
USB has significant market segment share as the cable interconnect of choice for the
PC platform. But the cable can get in the way. Bluetooth Technology has resolved
this issue to some degree, but it has enjoyed little success so far due to
performance limitations and interoperability problems. A UWB-enabled WUSB
solution provides the performance users have come to expect from wired USB
without the cable. Enabling un-tethered USB connectivity, UWB has the
possibility of gaining significant volume in the PC peripheral interconnect market
segment. The recently announced Wireless USB Working Group objective is to
define a specification that delivers on this promise by providing speeds up to 480
Mbps equivalent to wired USB 2.0within a 10-meter range. With WUSB, a user
can bring a mobile device, such as a portable media player (PMP), in proximity to a
content source, like a PC, laptop, or external hard disk drive, and, once
authentication and authorization are
complete, video files can be streamed onto the PMP for later viewing.

Figure 14 : PC clusters interconnected through

USB
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5.2 Wireless Multimedia Connectivity For AV CE Devices

Closely related to PC peripheral connectivity is wireless multimedia

connectivity for audio and video consumer electronics (AV CE) devices. The
benefits are similar to those of PCs and peripherals; wireless ease of use and data
transfer performance are key advantages.

The variety of devices within the entertainment cluster is wide: digital video
disc players (DVDs), HDTVs, STBs, personal video recorders (PVRs), MP3 players
and stereos, digital camcorders and digital cameras, and other CE devices
found throughout the home. For example, UWB could connect a wall-mounted
plasma display or HDTV to an STB or DVD player, without annoying and
unaesthetic cables. UWB can also enable multiple streams to multiple devices,
simultaneously. This would allow picture-in-picture functionality or the ability
to view the same or different content on multiple devices throughout the home.
UWB can also connect devices between the PC and entertainment clusters, such as a
digital camcorder to a media PC for digital video editing or to a large LCD for
viewing. Connect a digital camera to a mobile notebook PC for editing, compiling,
and sending pictures via e- mail to a family member while sitting at a public
hotspot. UWB offers key benefits for these kinds of uses (Table 1, on the next page).
With UWB-enabled WPANs, once the devices are within proximity, they recognize
each other, and streaming occurs when the user presses the Play button.

Table 1: Features and Benefits of AV CE Devices

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5.3 Wireless USB

Universal serial bus (USB) technology has been a popular connection type
for PCs and it's migrating into consumer electronic (CE) and mobile devices. Now
this high-speed and effective connection interface is unwiring to provide the
functionality of wired USB without the burden of cables. This next iteration of USB
technology is the focus of the new Wireless USB Promoter Group, which will define
the specifications that will eventually provide standards for the technology.

Wireless USB will be the first high speed wireless personal interconnect
technology to take advantages of UWB. Building on the success of wired USB, it
will bring USB technology into the wireless world.

To maintain the same usage and architecture as wired USB, the Wireless USB
Promoter Group is defining the wireless USB specification as a high speed host to
device connection. This will enable an easy migration path for todays wired USB
solutions. Targeted bandwidth is 480 Mbps plenty fast for multimedia
streaming and high bandwidth data transfers. With one billion units in the installed
base, USB is already the de facto interconnect for PC and many CE and mobile
devices. With Wireless USB, all the benefits of USB will be realized but without the
wire.

There are several architectural considerations in developing WUSB. In

addition to providing wireless connectivity, WUSB must be backwards
compatible with wired USB and provide a bridge to wired USB devices. Also, the
host and solutions will need to enable the exchange of data between clusters or
devices not related to the same host.

Low-cost implementation of WUSB will also be important to the successful

integration of the technology. Implementation will follow the wired USB
connectivity models as closely as possible to reduce development time and to
preserve the low- cost, easy-to-use model, which has become pervasive in the PC
industry.
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5.3.1 Performance
WUSB performance at launch will provide adequate bandwidth to meet the
requirements of a typical user experience with wired connections. The 480
Mbps initial target bandwidth of WUSB is comparable to the current wired
USB 2.0 standard. With 480 Mbps being the initial target, WUSB specifications will
allow for generation steps of data throughput as the ultra wideband radio
evolves and with future process technologies, exceeding limits of 1 Gbps.

The specification is intended for WUSB to operate as a wire replacement with

targeted usage models for cluster connectivity to the host and device-to-device
connectivity at less than 10 meters. The interface will support quality delivery of
rich digital multimedia formats, including audio and video, and will be capable
of high rate streaming (isochronous transfers).

5.3.2 Usage Applications

With the growing use of digital media in the PC, consumer electronic
(CE) and mobile communication environments, a common standard interconnect is
needed to support the on-going convergence of these environments. The trend
toward convenient wireless distribution of digital information provides an
opportunity to introduce a single, standard wireless interconnect capable of
supporting usage models across all three environments.

The CE environment will have high-performance wireless interface

expectations. Consumer usage models will center on streaming media distribution
that typically uses compression algorithms. The performance objective is to ensure a
high quality of service is maintained to meet typical consumer entertainment
expectations.

Typical video delivery with standard SDTV/DVD will consume between

3 and 7 Mbps while HDTV will use between 19 and 24 Mbps. A point distribution
technology like wireless USB with an effective bandwidth of 480 Mbps could
manage multiple HDTV streams. Host buffering could enable a network backbone to
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effectively distribute content to all distribution hosts, enhancing the quality

experience for all users.

Business applications for WUSB include a variety of different usage

possibilities. Common devices such as printers, scanners, hard drives, and projectors
could all be used in wireless scenarios. These devices would function the same way
as if they were using wired USB, but without all the cables. Office services on the
corporate network could migrate to WUSB and benefit from faster performance than
shared network devices offer.

5.3.3 Security and Device Association

WUSB security will ensure the same level of security as wired USB.
Connection-level security between devices will ensure that the appropriate device is
associated and authenticated before operation of the device is permitted. Higher
levels of security involving encryption should be implemented at the
application level. Processing overhead supporting security should not impose
noticeable performance impacts or add device costs.

One of the primary objectives when implementing a wireless interconnect is

that it is easy to install and use. Wired connections provide the user with implied
expectations, that is that the device is connected as specified by the user when they
install the wire. When the wire is installed, the user has basic expectations and when
these expectations do not take place (plug does not fit), there is a known recourse.

Wireless connections, on the other hand, due to environmental

characteristics, may establish connection paths that are not obvious. In fact, it may
not be obvious when a device is connected.

So WUSB devices installed for the first time should automatically

install drivers, security features, and so on and associate with systems that they can
interact with. The concepts of 'turn on and use it' with an easy setup procedure
will be employed.
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5.3.4 WUSB in the Future

The first Wireless USB implementations will likely be in the form of
discrete silicon that will be introduced in a number of form factors. These may
include add-in cards and dongles along with embedded solutions to support the
technology's introduction and subsequent rapid ramp up.

But the wireless future will arrive once WUSB, along with the common ultra
wideband platform, becomes a standard part of every processor and chipset and is
integrated in CMOS silicon.

As the latest iteration of USB technology, wireless USB (WUSB) will

offer the same functionality as standard wired USB devices but without the cabling.
As the new Wireless USB Promoter Group prepares to develop the specifications
that will help standardize the technology, the industry is planning products that
can take advantage of the convenience and mobility that this new device
interconnect will offer.
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CHAPTER 6

Comparison of Performance of UWB with Others

By comparison, today's Bluetooth works at about 1 megabit-per-second.
And at 11 to 50 megabits-per-second, even today's Wi-Fi pales in comparison.
UWB has higher data rates, greater range, lower cost and lower power needs
than many other technologies:
Technology Data Rate Range Cost Power Spectrum Summary

UWB 50-100Mb/s 500 ft Low Low Ultra Only high

(Theoreticall Wideband data rate
y up to WLAN in
500Mb/s) 300-500 ft
range

802.11a 54Mb/s 90-100 ft High High 5.0 GHz Power, cost

issues

Hyper LAN 25Mb/s 100 ft High High 2.4 GHz European

standard,
same as
802.11b
issues

802.11b 11Mb/s 250-300 ft Med Med 2.4 GHz Speed

Table 2: Comparison of Performance of UWB with others

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CHAPTER 7

UWB ANTENNAS

Antennas are particularly challenging aspect of UWB. If an impulse is fed

to an antenna, it tends to ring, severely distorting the pulse and spreading it out in
time. Also have poor matching and large reflections. Conventional wideband
antennas such as the log-periodic and the spiral are wideband in amplitude, but
not in phase; they distort the UWB signal.

The best antennas for UWB are arrays of TEM horns. The higher the
frequency the antennas can be equally small (FIG. 7). In UWB systems,
antenna design is one of key technologies and has been widely investigated by both
academia and industry. The antenna design considerations are strongly dependent on
the modulation scheme, which the UWB systems are using, and applications.

In general, MB-OFDM UWB wireless communication systems require the

antennas which should have broadband response in terms of return loss, gain at the
directions of interest, and /or polarization. Such requirements are almost the same as
the designs for conventional broadband wireless systems but a required extremely
broad bandwidth of 50% to 100% with a consistent gain response. However,
additional attention must be paid for pulse-based UWB systems where the UWB
antenna usually function as a band pass filter and tailor the spectra of the
radiated/received pulses so that the waveforms of radiated/received pulses are
distorted.
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Table 3: Comparison of Design Considerations for UWB Antennas

Fig 15: Antenna Shapes

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CHAPTER 8

Wi-Fi Replacement or Competitor?

There are mixed opinions on this subject. Many feel that the two will
complement each other rather than compete -- after all, at one time, many thought
Bluetooth and 802.11 would fight it out and they now live in harmony.
Likewise,
802.11 will most likely remain the preferred home data networking technology, with
UWB covering the home multimedia networking arena.

802.11 should also remain as the most effective technology for public access
and enterprise markets, where power consumption issues are less important and
data is still more important than multimedia. Many people feel this could change
if the FCC loosens the reigns on UWB, but nobody can really be sure.

Because of the projected growth of 802.11 systems by the time that higher-
powered UWB may be available, 802.ll will represent a relatively large
installed wireless LAN base. As a result, many homeowners and companies
will likely continue to support 802.11. The possible introduction of UWB as a
new physical layer within the 802.11 suite of standards, however, would provide
another option for new wireless LAN deployments and a possible migration
path from existing
802.11b/g and 802.11a systems.

As far as the release dates for UWB products go, there is some uncertainty.
Many systems are already in the testing and demonstration phase, but actual
consumer release dates are still sketchy. Predictions range from the fourth quarter
of 2003 to two years out. Whenever the products hit the shelves, it will definitely
be interesting to watch things develop, though. Only time will tell whether
UWB will totally dominate the wireless world or just play its near-term, WPAN
role.
 ULTRAWIDEBAND

CHAPTER 9

Impact of UWB on the Industry

UWB has the potential to eventually dominate every wireless "area

network," from wireless personal area networks (WPANs) to wireless wide area
networks (WWANs). In its current restricted state, UWB will most likely be the
preferred technology for wireless personal area networks, replacing Bluetooth's 1-
2Mbps bandwidth with 400-500Mbps data rates.

As far as WLANs are concerned, UWB is not in an immediate position to take over.
This has to so with the power limitations imposed by the FCC, but even if the
limitations are lightened some say that it could take at least five years before UWB
will become a dominant player in the wireless LAN market.

There has been discussion of using UWB to provide cheap, fast, last mile
wireless access systems, which would solve the interference issues that plague
current spread spectrum-based Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). These UWB
systems could be set up in rural areas, bringing never seen before high-speed
connectivity to those users.

Right now the best killer application for UWB is home multimedia
networking systems, where high bandwidth is crucial. UWB can support multiple
channel multimedia streaming of broadcast quality video, making it the preferred
technology to use when setting up a wireless home multimedia network.

UWB could connect virtually every multimedia device in your home without using any
wires. Digital cameras and camcorders could wirelessly stream images and video to your
TV or PC, DVD players and TV's could stream videos throughout your home, and flat
screen monitors could wirelessly connected to computers, DVD players, or any other
 ULTRAWIDEBAND

source you desire. UWB will very likely revolutionize the home multimedia scene and
eliminate the mounds of tangled wires found behind home entertainment centers.
 CHAPTER 10

Regulatory And Standards Issues

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in the process of

determining the legality of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) transmissions. Due to the wideband
nature of UWB emissions, it could potentially interfere with other licensed bands in the
frequency domain if left unregulated. Its a fine line that the FCC must walk in order to
satisfy the need for more efficient methods of utilizing the available spectrum, as
represented by UWB, while not causing undo interference to those currently occupying
the spectrum, as represented by those users owning licenses to certain frequency bands.
In general, the FCC is interested in making the most of the available spectrum as well as
trying to foster competition among different technologies.

The FCC first initiated a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in September of 1998, which
solicited feedback from the industry regarding the possibility of allowing UWB
emissions on an unlicensed basis following power restrictions described in the FCC Part
15 rules. The FCC part 15 rules place emission limits on intentional and unintentional
radiators in unlicensed bands. These emission limits are defined in terms of microvolts
per meter (uV/m), which represent the electric field strength of the radiator. In order to
express this in terms of radiated power (terms that are better understood by
communications engineers), the following formula can be used. The emitted power from
a radiator is given by the following:

where 0 E represents the electric field strength in terms of V/m, R is the radius of the
sphere at which the field strength is measured, and . is the characteristic impedance of a
vacuum where . = 377 ohms. For example, the FCC Part 15.209 rules limit the emissions
for intentional radiators to 500uV/m measured at a distance of 3 meters in a 1MHz
bandwidth for frequencies greater than 960MHz. This corresponds to an emitted power

spectral density of -41.3dBm/MHz. In May of 2000, the FCC issued a Notice of

Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), which solicited feedback from the industry on specific
rule changes that could allow UWB emitters under the Part 15 rules. More than 500
comments have been filed since the first NOI, which shows significant industry interest
in this rule-making process. Figure below shows how the current NPRM rules would
limit UWB transmitted power spectral density for frequencies greater than 2GHz.

Fig 16: Representation of FCC Standard Limits

 CHAPTER 11

Restrictions on Ultra Wide Band

Because UWB uses a wide swatch of frequency, there are concerns that it will
interfere with existing communications.

Initially, the main concern about UWB was whether or not they would
interfere with existing RF systems that provide essential military, aviation, fire,
police, and rescue services. Because of this, the FCC spent two years evaluating the
proposed UWB specifications and concluded that there will be no major interference.
The Department of Defense reviewed the tests and issued statements that it was
satisfied with the current restrictions being placed on UWB as well.

Concerns still remain, however, about the interference of higher-power UWB

systems. The FCC says they will reevaluate UWB in the near future, and they will
take a closer look at the issue of higher-power systems. Until then, you're limited to
UWB products with somewhat short range propagation.
 CHAPTER 12

ADVANTAGES

Doesnt suffer from multi-path interference.

High data carrying capacity.

It need only low power.

Low energy density.

Minimum complexity.

Low cost.

Highly secure.

Apart from low-power usage, inherent security and minimal noise generation,
UWB doesnt suffer from multi-path interference (where signals reach the receiver after
traveling through two or more paths). Something similar happens when your car is at an
intersection surrounded by tall buildings. Your radio might not give a clear reception as
its receiving both direct signals and those that have bounced off the buildings. Often,
the static disappears when you move ahead or backwards. Hence, it can be used in
densely built-up places, or where numbers of users are more than what is supported by
Wi-Fi, Blue-tooth etc.
 CHAPTER 13

DISADVANTAGES

UWB technologys carrier less transmission property has the disadvantage of not
supporting super-resolution beam forming .although with UWB pulsed systems there is
no carrier and therefore no carrier phase for fine resolution in terms of phase coherency,
there is certainly the potential at least for the baseband equivalent of coherency using
pulse sequences .

UWB technologys very short pulse width property has the disadvantage of producing a
very large number of multipath components.

UWB technologys very short pulse width property has the disadvantage that pulse
coding of signals involves relatively long synchronization times.

UWB technologys multipath persistence property has the disadvantage that there is a
significant scatter in the angle of arrival.

UWB technologys very wide bandwidth property has the disadvantage of causing
interference to existing systems and of being subject to interference from existing
systems.

The technology too is at an early stage of development and standardization is

is incomplete.

UWB is not a long range system for data transmission at higher rate.

KEY ISSUES FOR UWB

 UWB technology is attracting as an ultra fast interface for digital appliances. A
number of technical issues involved in getting UWB up and running in homes and
offices have been uncovered.

They can be broken down into five groups namely:-

1. Reducing interference with other radio systems,

2. Complying with electromagnetic regulations of many nations,

3. Minimizing erroneous transmissions caused by reflections from walls and objects

(multi-path),and

4. Assuring continuous communication between multiple pieces of equipment

(multi-access),

5. Reducing implementation cost of UWB radio circuitry.

6. All of these issues will be vital to the success of UWB.

 CHAPTER 14

APPLICATIONS

Ultra Wideband (UWB) devices can be used for precise measurement of

distances or locations and for obtaining the images of objects buried under ground or
behind surfaces. UWB devices can also be used for wireless communications,
particularly for short-range high-speed data transmissions suitable for broadband access
to the Internet.

Communication Applications
UWB devices can be used for a variety of communications applications
involving the transmission of very high data rates over short distances without suffering
the effects of multi-path interference. UWB communication devices could be used to
wirelessly distribute services such as phone, cable, and computer networking
throughout a building or home.

Positioning Applications
UWB devices can be used to measure both distance and position. UWB
positioning systems could provide real time indoor and outdoor precision tracking for
many applications. Some potential uses include locator beacons for emergency services
and mobile inventory, personnel and asset tracking for increased safety and security,
and precision navigation capabilities for vehicles and industrial and agricultural
equipment.

Radar Applications

1. Disaster Rescue: UWB technology has been used for some time in Ground
Penetrating Radar (GPR) applications and is now being developed for new types of
imaging systems that would enable police, fire and rescue personnel to locate persons
hidden behind a wall or under debris in crises or rescue situations. By
2. Bouncing UWB pulses, rescuers can detect people through rubble, earth or even
walls using equipment similar to radar. Construction and mineral exploration
industries may also benefit.

3. Radars: The US military has already been using this technology for military
radars and tracking systems for the last 15 years.

4. Collision Avoidance: UWB technology can make intelligent auto-pilots in

automobiles and other crafts a reality one day.

5. Construction Safety: UWB imaging devices also could be used to improve

the safety of the construction and home repair industries by locating steel
reinforcement bars (i.e., re-bar) in concrete, or wall studs, electrical wiring and
pipes hidden inside walls.

6. Automotive Safety: UWB devices could improve automotive safety with

collision avoidance systems and air bag proximity measurement for safe
deployment

7. Medical Applications: Potential medical uses include the development of a

mattress-installed breathing monitor to guard against Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome and heart monitors that measure the heart's actual contractions.
8. Home Safety: Some potential home safety uses include intrusion detection
systems that are less susceptible to false alarms, and space heaters that turn
themselves off when a child comes nearby.
 CHAPTER 15

CONCLUSION

Ultra wide band has the potential to become a viable and competitive
technology for short-range high-rate WPANs as well as lower-rate and low-power
consuming low-cost devices and networks with the capability to support a truly a
pervasive user-centric and thus personal wireless world.

UWB is undoubtedly a niche technology which holds promise in a wide area.

But, its success depends on scoring against a handful of rival technologies in which
companies have invested billions. Those whove invested their money will not hasten
to consider an upstart rival, even if it offers better services.

Now, visualize what happens when you heave a large rock into a small pond. It
splashes out the water in one go (as seen with our naked eyes). If captured as a still
photo, well see the millions of water droplets that splash out in a fraction of a second
and make the splash we see. If ripples are like normal transmission of data between
wireless devices (as in blue-tooth or Wi-Fi), UWB promises to be the huge rock in
data transmission.
 ACRONYMS

UWB Ultra wideband

WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
WPAN - Wireless Personal Area Network
WWAN Wireless Wide Area Network
WUSB Wireless Universal Serial Bus
AVCE Audio Video Consumer Electronics
FCC - Federal Communications
Commission HDTV High Definition Tele
Vision
PDA Personal Digital Assistant
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
DVD Digital Versatile Disk
PMP Personal Media Player
PVR Personal Video Recorder
OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
RF Radio Frequency
SS Spread Spectrum
 REFERENCES

Web sites:
http://www.uwb.org
http://www.ultrawidebandplanet.com
http://www.intel.co m/techno logy/ultrawideban
d http://www.uwbinsider.com
http://forums.80211-planet.com/